31 Thursday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey
Last weekend we spent a lot of time harvesting the honey from the hives that didn’t make it through the winter. It’s sad, but needed done.
It’s still so amazing how perfect those frames of honey are!
Read the full article on harvesting honey and beeswax here: https://wp.me/p6kehv-1cz
30 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, dearth, defensiveness, management
By now all the new beekeepers have watched a bunch of YouTube videos showing people without any personal protective equipment handling swarms, doing hive inspections, and maybe even wearing bee beards. Even while visiting mentor and bee buddy bee yards they have seen gloveless inspections and shorts being worn by more experienced beekeepers while handling their bees. A walk through the bee yard or a quick trip out to deliver a jar of syrup is usually done without formal wear. These sorts of super-human feats of coolness are typically performed during nectar flows.
Introducing dearth, a seasonal period when the available nectar is less than colony day-to-day needs. Hungry, irritable bees. Foraging bees with nowhere to ply their trade, jobless and loafing in and around the hive. And I don’t know about you but, like the Snickers commercial, I too am just a bit grumpy when I’m hungry.
Act One, Scene One: Older bees with their fully developed venom sacs hanging out at home, irritable and ready to defend their precious stores of honey goodness.
For the beekeeper dearth means you too must make changes in the manner in which you conduct yourself around the bees.
1) Wear your protective equipment. Once the nectar flow ends I begin wearing my veil even if just walking though the bee yard or exchanging a jar feeder. You may have 1,000,000 honey bees out there but it only takes one bee having a bad day. A sting between the eyes can turn your pleasant evening stroll into a evening on the couch with an ice pack coupled with periodic and annoying questions from family members.
2) Work your bees during mid-day when the foragers are out of the hive. Depending on the size of the hive, the number of ill tempered foragers not in your way makes a big difference. A hive filled with mild mannered nurse bees is a pleasure compared to cranky guards and foragers. Also, avoid working on days that keep the bees from flying like rainy or windy days. I have noticed that if we get a mid-day rain shower the foragers will return and, during dearth, many will stay home even if the sun comes back out – learned that the hard way.
3) When going into the hive suit up, use smoke, move slowly, and get out when they tell you – when you hear them increasing their “roar.” Your time inside may be limited so work efficiently. Don’t feel you “must” look at everything regardless of them being annoyed. If you’re showing a friend your bees and yammering away then go briefly into a few hives rather than keep one open too long.
4) Start to look at how your your body mechanics affect the bees while working them. Are you frequently moving your hands across the top of the frames as you break apart the frames. Instead, use your right hand to break the entire line of bars along the right side then do the left side (with your left hand preferably). Pull the frames closest to you first so you don’t reach across any more than needed. Don’t stand in front of the hive. If possible, try working from the side of the hive instead of the back and you won’t be reaching across them as much. If you have multiple boxes and you “must” inspect to the bottom take the tower of boxes off first and inspect from the bottom, adding one box back at a time rather that stirring them up in each box as you work downward. And finally, if you have to shake bees off the inner cover, out of a box, or elsewhere, save that until last – no need to stir them up while you still have work remaining.
5) When all else fails walk away. You may even have to walk away, wait a few minutes and return to close them up. And if you do get stung, after you take care of yourself, take a picture. We’d like to welcome you to the club!
If you have more ideas and suggestions feel free to add them below.
29 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey, honey as food
Tags
“Honey has been consumed by humans for over ten thousand years: the Egyptians were the first to practice the art of beekeeping and it has been reported that the Romans used honey instead of gold to pay their taxes. This sweet substance not only contains a complex mixture of sugars but has many other natural constituents. It is a combination of these that make it a unique and nutritious food, for both bees and humans! The composition and concentration of these constituents varies and depends on honey floral and geographical origin, honey processing and storage, and seasonal and environmental factors. Honey can also contain many contaminants mainly due to anthropogenic activities.”
cont.
Read full article here: https://wp.me/p8q7ap-em
28 Monday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, ecology
Tags
art, bee friendly gardens, ecology, environmental ecology, landscape architects, pollinator gardens
“As landscape architects, one of the most effective ways we can improve the ecological benefit of any landscape is knowing how to identify, enhance, and create habitat for pollinators. But before maxing out a planting design with an abundant array of colorful blooms and anticipating the buzz of activity, there is more to consider than simply specifying a preselected pollinator seed mix or plugs. So, what exactly is pollinator habitat? For many, an open wildflower meadow or garden with the familiar stacked box (Langstroth) style beehive may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, pollinator habitat includes a diversity of floral resources for foraging, safe locations, and materials shelter/nesting sites (or host plants for butterflies and moths—Lepidoptera).”
cont.
Anthony Fettes, ASLA, PLA, SITES AP, is a Senior Landscape Architect and Ecologist at Sasaki in Watertown, MA.
27 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, book review
“The book has six chapters and covers topics like native plants, letting nature guide your garden, gardening for pollinators and birds, our relationship with wildlife and how are gardens are a meeting ground, and the life cycle of nature relating to our garden.
Throughout the book are also 6 interviews with ecological gardeners who have turned their property into a ‘living landscape’. It is interesting to see how their garden transformed from its original purchased state. One lady in Florida even found a threatened native lily growing on her property after allowing her garden to become more natural.
There are nice color photos on nearly every set of pages as examples of the topic discussed. In the back of the book is a list of online learning resources and a native plant list, to continue your endeavor on creating an ecological garden.”
cont.
Read full article here: https://wp.me/p4dO9X-1zx
26 Saturday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey recipe, recipe
Tags
I’m always on the look-out for “healthy” hundred-year-old cookie recipes, so I was thrilled when I came across a recipe for Honey Wafers. The recipe uses honey as the primary sweetener – though it does contain a small amount of sugar.
Old-fashioned Honey Wafers are delightful with coffee. They have a distinct honey flavor, with mild undertones of lemon. Don’t expect these cookies to taste like sugar cookies.
I used a 2-inch in diameter round cookies cutter when making these cookies. This was a good size. Small is better. The honey is very predominant, and made for savoring.
These cookies got relatively hard after a day or two, but were still good. They could also be softened by putting in an airtight container with a slice or two of apple.
Read full article and get recipe here: Old-fashioned Honey Wafer Recipe — A Hundred Years Ago
25 Friday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping management, management
Whether you are a hobbyist, sideliner, or a commercial beekeeper, spring is a busy time for many beekeepers. Of all the spring tasks, splitting colonies may be the most crucial. Whether beekeepers split to expand their operation, to re-queen their colonies or control varroa, splitting is an important, yet time consuming task. In many ways, splitting is a right of passage for beekeepers.
Read full article here: ALL ABOUT SPLITS: THE 3 MAJOR TECHNIQUES FOR SPLITTING YOUR COLONIES — The Daily Guide to Beekeeping
24 Thursday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey, management, production
Tags
As with all beekeeping we have to ask ourselves what our goals are. Do we want to keep bees just to have bees? Do we want to keep them in as “natural” a way as possible? Do we want to make bees for sale as nucleus hives? Or do we want to manage our bees for honey production?
If one wants to manage their bees in as natural a manner as possible then do so by following their lead. Thomas Seeley and others have determined that honey bees will choose a dry cavity approximately 40 liters in size with an entrance of approximately 2 square inches. The bees select that size because it gives them what they need to meet their ultimate goals – reproduction and survival. They build up fast, fill it, and swarm which has definite advantages for them from pest, disease, and reproduction standpoints. If we want to keep bees more naturally we simply need a gum log or empty 40 liter box with a hole bored in the side – no frames, no foundation, nor fancy hive accessories.
But most of us don’t keep bees naturally. The moment we step away from that gum, skep, or single 40 liter box we are managing them in a manner to accomplish our goals not their goals. I’m not interested in raising bees in cavities like they select. I’m interested in managing bees in cavities I select based on the goals I wish to attain. But that’s not so bad. My bees benefit from disease management, protection from starvation, and pest control which they would not have if left on their own.
For me that’s different management and different box configuration for making queens, a different box configuration for overwintering, and lots of boxes for honey production. And it’s also lots of management every step of the way. Adding ventilation, boxes, making early splits, treatments, IPM, regular assessments, and interventions just so I can support them while they focus their efforts on plundering the local nectar resources.
Regarding upper entrances, they are added when needed for ventilation, reduce brood nest congestion, and increase traffic efficiency. They also create a disruption in the swarming process. They allow nectar to be cured quicker with less effort increasing the bees’ efficiency, decreasing their caloric expenditure, and saving precious wing wear and tear for their future as foragers. But managing upper entrances also means getting them back off when they are no longer needed which is after the nectar flow and prior to the major pest onslaught such as hive beetles and yellow jackets. For the most part it is a two month a year manipulation. It is work for me which increases the efficiency of the hive such that they can grow far beyond what nature intended. But it requires management.
Beekeeping is science based management. It is not for the lazy nor for procrastinators. Most people want their beekeeping to be something in between a gum standing in the backyard and what I strive for. Most probably don’t want large hives – they want a little honey and a well pollinated garden. That’s great. For them they can choose any number of hive types such as Langstroth, TBH, Warre, Long Lang, etc. and have good outcomes while enjoying their bees. It’s all good if you know your goals and follow your ideals and science.
23 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, hive inspections, honey bee behavior, honey bees, inspections, management, usurpation
Interesting event in the bee yard. A couple weeks ago I performed a cut out on a top bar hive that had gone burr comb crazy. I cut and rubber banded brood into deep Langstroth frames and brought it home. After letting them settle down I inspected the hive and was pleasantly surprised to find the queen unharmed. She was nice and big and had a dark color. Happy with myself, I closed them up. I did note that they seemed less than industrious and after over a week they took littl…e sugar syrup and other than attaching the old brood comb to the frames they were not building new comb. There were plenty of loafers around the front while seemingly there was plenty of work to be done!
Then, they were gone! Not like a swarm or a new package sometimes absconds in a few days. It had been well over a week; maybe ten days. It could be they were thinning down the queen for flight. I though to check if that fat, heavy queen had been left behind but she was gone. It also seemed they might have waited until almost all of the brood hatched out before they left.
I checked all the trees because I look at all my hives daily and they had been there the day before. Nothing. Then I checked the swarm traps. Nothing. Not even scouts.
I resigned myself to losing them. Then I noticed a hive I had split the week earlier. It was three doors down from the absconded colony. The split had a queen cell but I didn’t think a laying queen yet. And the split had been a weak split of just a few frames of bees. But wait. Now the split was bubbling over with bees. By now you’ve guessed it. A usurpation had occurred. Wyatt Mangum writes about this happening especially during summer when a normal swarm would have almost no chance of otherwise surviving because of dearth. Wow.
21 Monday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, biology, honey bee biology
Tags
Every few weeks a photo of a fly lands in my inbox, always accompanied by the same question: “What kind of bee is this?” The answer is simple. If your insect has short, stubby, barely visible antennae, it is not a bee.
On the contrary, a bee antenna is long, graceful, mobile, and insanely cute. But beyond that, the antennae are a bee’s major data collection tools, containing receptors for touch, taste, and smell. Antennae can also detect temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide, along with gravity and wind speed.1 Much of what a bee “knows” arrives through those two slender filaments.
The word antenna is derived from the Latin antemna. On Roman sailing ships, an antemna was a type of horizontal mast-mounted spar designed to spread square-rigged sails. With a little imagination, perhaps you too can envision your bees with rigging. Sail ho!
Read full article here: A quick-start guide to honey bee antennae — Honey Bee Suite
20 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping history, birthday, birthdays
World Bee Day was initiated in Slovenia, Europe, and has been quickly catching around the world. For example, German Chancellor Angela Merkel concluded a major speech Wednesday with a rousing endorsement of World Bee Day, telling members of the Bundestag to do something good for the bees:
“I want to finish with something that some may consider insignificant but is actually very important: on May 20 is the first World Bee Day. On this day we should really think about biodiversity and do something good for the bees.”
World Bee Day became World Bee Day after a successful campaign by the country of Slovenia (Anton Janša’s birthplace) to promulgate the message. Their petition to the United Nations was accepted in December 2017, so this year marks the first official World Bee Day. I’ve been following (and promoting World Bee Day) ever since I heard the effort was underway a couple of years ago, so below you’ll see some of my earlier posts.
Read more here: May 20: World Bee Day — Bad Beekeeping Blog
20 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
Tags
In this modern world of everyone being expected to have hyper-exaggerated opinions on anything and everything, not a day goes by without the fate of the bee (and with it the fate of ALL LIFE ON EARTH AS WE KNOW IT) being dramatically lamented. I’m certainly not going to argue the importance of the bee […]
19 Saturday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey, honey as food
Perhaps one of oldest, natural food substance known to mankind. Produced by bees, collected and utilized for lot of different purposes, whether to drink with warm water to soothe a sore throat, or to create delicious desserts and souses, or to ferment into mead. We can say that honey is quite the protagonist…
Throughout history, honey always played a significant role in society. In the old Pagan world, it was believed that honey was a direct link to the Gods themselves. In ancient Rome, it was a status symbol and those who produced the finest, sweetest honey were considered to be esteemed, prestigious citizens. Later in the middle ages, thanks to the ancient Greek medicine men, honey was associated with medicine and was viewed as a form of remedy for several alignments and thus, it was used by pharmacists (back then, known as Apothecary) and even Alchemists for medicinal purposes to heal the sick.
Read the full article here: HONEY, HONEY, HONEY — Discordia Meadery
18 Friday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey bee photos, nectar flow
Treat yourself today to a visit to this interesting article filled with beautiful pictures of the current nectar flow sources in Maryland. ~SassafrasBeeFarm
And the nectar flow! The Maryland nectar flow relies upon tulip poplar, black locust and blackberry, all beginning to bloom as my scaled hive proves with steady increases of five to seven pounds each day last week. As we revel in warm weather, watching our busy girls returning to the hives with full bellies of nectar and fat pollen pants, it’s time to think about…the fall. While there’s an abundance of blooms outside this month, have you considered what your bees will eat after you harvest honey and the supplemental plants are spent? We can take a lesson from the bees and plan now for what’s to come.
Read full article and see the beautiful pictures here: April Showers Bring May Flowers — settling for bees
17 Thursday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping management, queens
Though I say it myself I am usually pretty good at finding queens. Obviously this is in a beekeeping context, I don’t roam the streets looking out for flamboyant blokes with a touch of the Quentin Crisp! In my beekeeping career I must have found thousands of queens during hive inspections, searching nucs and mini nucs and also in swarms. Sometimes it can be like looking for a moving needle in a moving haystack but there are things you can do to help yourself.
Read full article here: Finding the Queen — East Riding Honey’s Blog
16 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, comb honey, management
Tags
Looks like I get to cross another one off my beekeeping bucket list. Comb honey! When I started beekeeping I read Richard Taylor’s book, The Joys of Beekeeping and have had the idea of making comb honey ever since. I crowded this hive after the first month of the flow by removing a super when they actually needed one, and replaced it with a super of Ross Rounds. Now, about three weeks later, all 32 rounds are beautifully capped. I realized after pulling it today that I had no space in the freezer so I put it back on top after inserting a medium. They deserve the space for all their hard work! Currently when foragers return at the end of the day it looks like a package of bees hanging from each entrance.
15 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, Honey Bee Research
Figure 1: Congaree National Park Entrance (Image Credit David MacFawn )
In March, 2018 David MacFawn, Fleming Mattox and Dave Schuetrum began an effort to explore wild bees in Congaree National Park (CONG, https://www.nps.gov/cong), which is just southeast of Columbia, South Carolina (Figure 1). We are interested determining the size and health of the feral honey bee population there. Various staff and visitors have reported a few others over the years, and we recently found one wild “bee tree” in the park, which was located quite far from any trail. Much of the park is a vast wilderness area, however, and researchers have not systematically searched for bees before. The first phase of our project, (hopefully with follow-on studies), to determine if honey bees are surviving in the forest. The second phase is to study how they are dealing pests and diseases (e.g., Seeley, T.D., et.al. 2015; Seely, T. August, 2017; Tarpy, D.R., Delaney, D.A., Seeley, T.D. 2015).
Figure 2: Number Hives in The United States http://ento.psu.edu/publications/van-mex-2010 Image Credit: Fleming Mattox)
The bee population in the United States has been declining over the past few decades (Figure 2, vanEngelsdorp and Meixner, 2010). Scientists are studying several possible factors that impact the bee population including habitat, genetics, disease, and pesticides. Bee keepers are actively managing their apiaries to treat for diseases in order to improve survivability. Beekeepers also provide hives for the bees to live in, selectively breed the bees, treat for diseases, and work to keep the bees away from chemicals and pesticides (Graham, J. M., editor. 2015).
Above left: old-growth cypress tree at Congaree National Park (Credit: D. Schuetrum)
Above right: Cypress Swamp in CONG (Credit: D. Schuetrum)
South Carolina River Basins (NPS/D. Shelley)
According to the park’s Foundation Document (NPS, 2014), which summarizes the park’s key legislation and priorities, the mission of Congaree National Park is to protect, study, and interpret “the resources, history, stories, and wilderness character of the nation’s largest remaining tract of southern old-growth bottomland forest.” The park was preserved as Congaree Swamp National Monument in 1976 after grassroots campaign, and re-designated in 2003 as a national park. The park’s 26,000+ acres include 11,000 acres of old-growth, which bear no ecological or historical evidence of being clearcut (and certainly not in the last several hundred years) as well as >15,000 acres of wilderness area protected by the Wilderness Act of 1964. The wilderness designation is relatively rare in the eastern United States and sets a high priority for keeping the area “untrammeled;” more information on the Wilderness Act and land management is available on the web at https://www.wilderness.net. Furthermore, the park does not apply insecticides in the forest. CONG is also home to the NPS Old-Growth Bottomland Forest Research and Education Center, which works to connect scientists to parks and people with park science.
Congaree National Park trail map from the park website
Because of its protected status, CONG offers a unique opportunity to study wild bees in a floodplain forest where nature is generally left alone to develop naturally. Studies in other natural areas have documented wild colonies with an average density of 2.5 colonies per square mile (Seeley, T.D., et.al. 2015; Seely, T. August, 2017; Tarpy, D.R., Delaney, D.A., Seeley, T.D. 2015).
CONG has no beekeeper and the bees within the park are left to their own survival. This presents an opportunity to address a number of questions related to human impacts on hives:
1) What is the bee density within the park?
2) What is the bee distribution within the park?
3) Are the bees within the park genetically different from bees outside the park?
4) How are the bees surviving without active management?
5) Are pesticides a problem within the comb of the hive?
6) What is the bee pollen source and is this different from bees outside the park?
The purpose of our study is to begin to answer these questions in a logical and organized manner. The first part is to attempt to determine bee density within the park and to see if there is genetic uniqueness to this species.
The first part of the study in 2018 is to capture bees both within the park and in adjacent areas. Bees will be lured using sugar syrup laced with a natural pheromone, anise oil. Approximately 12 captured bees per lure will be sent to the University of Delaware for genetic analysis. Since hives normally have 15,000-60,000 bees, the removal of several dozen bees will have no impact on hive survival.
If phase 1 documents abundant, genetically distinct wild bees in the park, then a second phase of the project will seek to locate the colonies and possibly sample comb for chemical analysis to determine pesticide loads. Colonies will also be monitored to determine health and survivorship.
Figure 3: Proposed collection sites. In-park sites are in blue, with one known bee tree (as of April, 2018) in red. Sites north of the park are in green, while sites south of the park are in pink. The exact locations will be finalized through on-the ground work and (for non-park sites) landowner contacts through the Mid-State Bee Keepers Association. (NPS/D.Shelley)
Congaree River along the southern border of the park (NPS Photo/S.McNamara)
The project is currently being funded through the generosity of Mid-State Beekeepers’ Association and the South Carolina State Beekeepers’ Association.
Through local beekeeping associations we are seeking volunteers that may be interested in volunteering to assist with this project. Sampling (Figure 3) will take place over 1-2 weeks in June. The sampling will involve three day trips to the sites, including one day to deploy the lures, one day to check (and hopefully refill) them, and one day to sample. Volunteers do not have to commit to all three sampling days. Some sites are more remote than others, and volunteers should have a range of options in terms of physical challenge and difficulty.
Cedar Creek at Congaree National Park (NPS/T.Thom)
Boardwalk (2.4 Miles) – The boardwalk begins on a bluff at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center with an elevated section that leads down into the old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. A variety of different tree species can be observed including bald cypress and tupelo trees in the lowest elevations. Loblolly pines, oaks, holly trees and maples can also be observed. The boardwalk has benches along the way and is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
Bluff Trail #1 (1.7 Miles) – This upland trail loops north of the visitor center and connects to the elevated boardwalk for a short distance. The Bluff Trail passes through a young forest of loblolly and longleaf pines. Evidence of prescribed fires can be found along the Bluff Trail.
Take a boardwalk stroll through a cypress tupelo forest at Congaree National Park (NPS/jt-fineart.com)
Sims Trail #2 (3 Miles) – The Sims trail, an old gravel road, runs from the Bluff Trail on its northern end to Cedar Creek on its southern end, crossing the boardwalk twice. The clearing at the intersection with the Weston Lake Loop Trail was once the site of a hunt club where Harry Hampton was a member.
Weston Lake Loop Trail #3 (4.4 Miles) – This loop provides great views of Cedar Creek where otters and wading birds may be observed. The eastern portion of the trail follows a cypress-tupelo slough (dried-up river bed) where many cypress knees can be seen sticking out of water.
Oakridge Trail #4 (6.6 Miles) – Passing through a rich stretch of old-growth forest, the Oakridge Trail traverses a subtle ridge where a variety of large oaks grow. The number of low-lying sloughs (dried-up river beds) makes this trail great for viewing wildlife.
Trail marker at Congaree National Park (NPS/jt-fineart.com)
River Trail #5 (10.0 Miles) – This trail leads to the Congaree River, the lifeblood of the park’s great natural diversity. Approximately ten times a year, the river overflows its banks and pulses water throughout the bottomland forest. When the river is low, a large sandbar may be visible. Much of the forest along the river was logged prior to the park’s establishment and vegetation here is notably denser than that of other trails.
Kingsnake Trail #6 (11.7 Miles) – The Kingsnake trail, which is not a loop, is a favorite trail for birders because of the diverse vegetation and proximity to Cedar Creek. When the sloughs (dried-up river beds) are full of water, beautiful views are around every bend.
Springtime at Congaree National Park finds butterweed blooming under cypress trees (Credit: D. Schuetrum)
Bates Ferry Trail #7 (2 miles) – Starting from Route 601, this trail follows a 1920’s ferry road south to the Congaree. It is a remnant of the area’s rich history, which includes colonial-era ferries that once crossed near here. While at the river, please be aware that the bank is steep and could potentially be slippery. It is best to stay on the marked path, as old side trails are unmarked and not maintained.
Volunteers measure an old-growth sweetgum at Congaree National Park (Credit: D. Schuetrum)
Longleaf Trail #8 (.6 miles) – This trail branches off the Bluff trail, providing access to the Longleaf Campground.
• David E. MacFawn, Master Craftsman Beekeeper and lead: dmacfawn@aol.com, 803-629-8076 (c)
• Bill Couch, Couchws@gmail.com
• Marc Johnson, dovedog99@gmail.com
• Dr. Fleming Mattox, halidon15@yahoo.com
• Dave Schuetrum, d14ds0604@att.net
• Dr. David C. Shelley, Congaree National Park, david_shelley@nps.gov
• Dr. Deborah Delaney, University of Delaware, dadelane@udel.edu
Graham, J. M., editor. 2015. The Hive and the Honey Bee: A New Book on Beekeeping which Continues the Tradition of Langstroth on the Hive and the Honeybee. Dadant & Sons, Hamilton, IL. 1057 pages ISBN 978-0-915698-16-5.
NPS, 2014. Foundation Document: Congaree National Park, South Carolina. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 76 pp. Accessed May 7, 2018, from https://www.nps.gov/cong/learn/management/upload/CONG_FD_SP.pdf.
Seeley, T.D., Tarpy, D.R., Griffin, S.R., Carcione, A., Delaney, D.A. 2015. A survivor population of wild colonies of European honeybees in the northeastern United States: investigating its genetic structure. Apidologie (Springer Verlag) v. 46, no. 5, p. 654-666.
Seely, T. August, 2017. Honey Bee Environment of Evolutionary Adaptness (EEA). Presentation To Eastern Apiculture Society, July/August, 2017 conference, Newark, Delaware.
Tarpy, D.R., Delaney, D.A., Seeley, T.D. 2015. Mating Frequencies of Honey Bee Queens (Apis mellifera L.) in a Population of Feral Colonies in the Northeastern United States. PLoS ONE, v. 10, no. 3, 12 pp. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118734, accessed May 7, 2018 from http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118734.
vanEngelsdorp, D., Meixner, M.D. 2010. A historical review of managed honey bee populations in Europe and the United States and the factors that may affect them. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, v. 103, p. S80-S85, doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.011, accessed May 15, 2018 from http://ento.psu.edu/publications/van-mex-2010.
15 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey bee anatomy
In Apis Mellifera or honeybees, the Proboscis Extension Reflex, PER, is part of the honeybee’s feeding behavior. The PER is a natural behavioral reflex in which the honey bee extends its proboscis in response to antennal stimulation with a sugar solution, during normal foraging behavior, PER occurs when the honey bee finds nectar in a flower. For example, If a honeybee went out of the hive to find nectar in flowers, and then found nectar, it would stick its Proboscis out to sense and smell it. After the Proboscis senses it, the bee will collect the nectar and then bring it back to the hive. If this bee was impaired form the toxic Neonicotinoid, Imidacloprid, it wouldn’t be able to sense the nectar, collect it, nor bring it back to the hive. That is how Imidacloprid can affect a whole hive, just by infecting one honeybee and impairing its Proboscis Extension. The PER can be seen as one of the honeybees most vital tools. This is because, without it, the bee wouldn’t able to test if the substance it is retrieving is nectar, or another, poisonous, substance. Therefore the PER is vital to the honeybees survival and could mean life or death if it becomes impaired under the influence of the toxic neonicotinoid Imidacloprid. The PER happens as one swift motion in a honey bee, it is absolutely amazing to watch!
Read the full article here: What Exactly is The PER? — The Bee’s Knees.Org
14 Monday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey bee behavior
It’s 97 degrees in South Carolina and today’s date is May 13th. I’ll bet that most of you reading this have already flipped that switch on your central air unit from Heat to AC. Well, the bees do the same thing – almost. They switch from keeping the brood warm to keeping it cool. And the way they do it is fascinating! And you can participate too!
Summer Bee Hive Temperature Regulation and Hive Ventilation
Honey bees have a knack for maintaining the internal temperature of the hive at around 93 to 95 degrees Farenheit. They do this primarily because this is the ideal temperature for their brood. How they do it is remarkable. Watch them on the landing board fanning. Some hang upside down on the lip of the brood box, others stand on the landing board. Sometimes you may even notice that bees on one side of the landing board are facing towards the box and on the other side of the landing board they are facing away – just to create a flow of air through the hive. Inside they are also busy fanning creating currents of air to keep the temperature correct and also to evaporate the nectar into honey. Standing outside your hive you can hear them inside buzzing like a motor or fan running.
In the heat of the summer it gets to be a big job for them to maintain the correct temperature inside. The lack of watery nectar further reduces the effects of evaporative cooling so the bees gather water and return to the hive placing droplets of water inside thus reducing the temperatures via its evaporation. This also helps maintain the correct humidity for the brood.
Yet another method they employ is to gather outside to reduce the internal heat. We call this bearding. While cold blooded, the heat generated by the muscle activity of tens of thousands of bees heats up the interior of the hive. It makes good sense to reduce the number of bees inside.
When the temperatures in the Midlands get into the nineties outside you will see the bees doing all of the above in an effort to keep the internal temperature 93-95F
What can you do to help them maintain the correct temperature of the hive? Depending on the configuration of your equipment you may be able to help. One of the simpliest methods is to simply place a popsicle stick under the corners of the outer cover allowing the heat to escape. I have a few migratory covers this year and will be slipping popsicle sticks between them and the upper most box. The thin popsicle stick, or two, is not large enough to allow robbers to invade but will allow the rising hot air to exit the hive.
Screened bottom boards should be open during the hot summer. The bees inside will circulate the air inside the hive such that cooler air is pulled in and around the interior and exhausted to the outside.
If your inner cover has an upper entrance keep it open to allow heat to escape. If the colony is weak a little screening across the upper entrance may be needed.
With dearth many beekeepers will reinsert their entrance reducers to prevent robbing. If you have a screened bottom board this reducing of the entrance will probably be fine. If you are using a solid bottom board I recommend you leave the entrance reducer out, replacing it with #8 hardware cloth bent into a U shape and pushed into the opening (remember to leave them an entrance to come and go). The screen will allow airflow which would have otherwise been blocked.
Other ideas:
Go traditional and paint your outer cover reflective white. Why not, it’s after Easter.
Place a slightly longer piece of cardboard over the hive making an awning over the front porch (assuming it’s facing south).
Clean up any debris under the hive to allow air to circulate.
Make a 1 1/2″ shim to go between the inner cover and outer cover and drill 1 inch ventilation holes on the sides (cover holes with hardware cloth to keep out robbers).
Got more ideas? Add them below.
13 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, famous beekeepers
THE HONEY EXTRACTOR INVENTOR
Major Franz Hruschka was born on 13th May 1819 in Vienna. He lived his childhood in Czech Budejovice. He moved with his father in 1827 to Graz, where he attended the elementary school and three years of the secondary school. At the age of 14 he was drafted and as a cadet of the 19th Infantry Regiment Hessen-Homburg he was assigned to the cadet’s unit in Graz.
THE YEAR 1868
Hruschka in a meantime became known to the whole beekeeping world. It was rightly written by vicar Bastian, that Hruschka with his invention gained the finest place among beekeepers of all times. Hruschka gets an honorable membership in the Verona beekeepers association in 1868. Baroness Berlepsch wanted to give her husband an album with pictures of outstanding beekeepers of those days as a christmas present in 1867. She asked several prominent beekeepers to send their pictures to her, Hruschka including. Hruschka readily fulfilled her wish. It appears the Berlepsch couple thanked Hruschka in writing. It was probably their letter Hruschka mentions in his October article for Eichstaett news as a pleasant surprise: “While I am writing these lines I am surprised by a nice letter from far away, for once I can be mostly pleasantly surprised and I thank for it heartily.”
The above was taken as excerpts from: https://www.fhruschka.cz/en/Hruschka.aspx
13 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
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Nectar flow is slowing. The dry spell we have had is not helping. In the Midlands, with some exceptions, sometime around the first part of June the bees will have a hard time finding enough nectar to meet day to day expenditures. New beekeepers will probably have to feed syrup. Established hives may have enough honey. Regardless, their behavior will change, robbing can become an issue, and your management will change as well.
The purist in me wants to feed the bees nothing but their own honey if it is available. And I do leave them a good bit at all times. However, if you are just starting you very well may not have any options other than to feed sugar syrup to newly established hives during the dearth. Comb building will become increasingly difficult to stimulate, sometimes the bees will chew up your wax foundation rather than build, and you’ll wonder why. I’m just not sure what it is in nectar that makes the bees so happy and eager to build. But once the nectar lessens you may find yourself mixing sugar syrup. A 1:1 (by weight) solution is the preferred mix during the summer dearth. The bees won’t complain if you make it a little thinner (sugar content of nectar varies quite a bit in nature) but I keep it around 1:1.
Be prepared to keep a close eye on your hives, especially if you have more than one hive, for the possibility of robbing. Entrance reducers may be needed on weaker hives to reduce the area the guard bees patrol so as to allow a defense against would be invaders. If you go into hives for inspections be mindful to not leave a honey super uncovered or unattended which could trigger a robbing frenzy. Continue to make hive inspections taking note of the hive’s development as well as pests and honey/nectar stores.
Also during this time become accustomed to lifting your hive slightly from the rear to get a feel for its weight. Do this often and start comparing what you see inside to how heavy the hive feels. Eventually you will be able to feel a light hive and know when to feed. This skill will pay dividends during the winter when you won’t be opening the hives to determine adequate stores.
During dearth, forager bees have less work to do. Some of the older beekeeping books speak to the bees gathering all the local nectar early in the day and then, with nothing to do, staying in, or on, the hive. The combination of older, forager bees in the hive and scarcity of available food makes for a combination that displays itself as increased defensiveness around your beehives. You will definitely start to notice that the bees seem more edgy and quicker to protect their hive. I wear my veil even when just feeding during dearth.
You’ll also start to see more and more bees hanging out on the front of the hive. They display a curious dance-like behavior called washboarding. Sometimes so many bees will be on the front of your hive and landing board it may cause concern. Most of the time these behaviors are associated with increased heat in the hive or not enough space. You should know if they have enough space by your inspections. As for the heat, the bees create quite a bit of heat in the process of fanning within the hive to dry out the nectar and create honey. All that muscle activity coupled with increased outside temperatures causes the inside temperature to increase. The bees know what to do though. They gather at the entrance, line up, and start a circulatory air current to remove the heat and humidity. Clever bees! And as for those bees hanging out on the front, they are outside because it’s too hot inside and more bees inside would just make matters worse. If they look like they are hot you can help them with ventilation by placing a Popsicle stick or two between the outer cover and the inner cover. The crack will not be large enough for robbers to get in but will allow some heat to escape.
Another issue, not strictly related to the dearth, will be an increase in pests. Other insects want to eat too and times are hard all over! Be on the lookout for an increase in hive beetles and later, yellow jackets. There are various means of dealing with hive beetles (SHB Handbook Here) so I won’t go into those. As for the yellow jackets that will arrive later in the summer, a strong colony will eject the occasional robber. Hive watching entertainment gets slow as the summer progresses but you’ll get some entertainment watching three or four bees drag a “wanna-be robber” yellow jacket out of the hive and toss him over the edge of the landing board! If you’d just like to trap them there are many DYI yellow jacket traps on the Internet. Make sure you use the vinegar in the recipe – I believe this may deter interest by honey bees.
12 Saturday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
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Enjoy some honey today in your tea or on a waffle. Just enjoy!
More relaxing music for a Saturday.
11 Friday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
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Indications are, we are approaching the end of the nectar flow. First it’s not really the end of the nectar flow. Rather it is a sharp decrease in nectar availability IN EXCESS of colony day to day needs.
Our local www.hivetool.net monitored hive shows recent changes in the weights during the daytime nectar gathering hours. What appears now is 1) sharp decrease when foragers leave the hive 2) sharp increase in weight as they return with nectar during the first half of the da…y 3) followed by afternoon decrease when nectar becomes scarce yet evaporation of in hive nectar continues, followed by 4) sharp increase in weight at end of the day when foragers return. Finally, 5) decrease in hive weight over night as nectar is steadily evaporated into honey.
Other indicators: Increase in bee irritability especially in the hot afternoon hours. Some foragers are staying inside without the strong scout signals of nectar sources. Foragers are older bees with and a bit more defensiveness as a rule. Expect a steady increase in more defensiveness as nectar flow continues to slow, especially in the afternoons. Depending on the size of your colony you may have 30,000 foragers willing to bounce you out of their hive. Besides you look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man anyway.
Bees leave the hive each morning looking for the biggest nectar bang for their buck as indicated by the findings of the scouts. After they clean that up they will scout and find lesser sources. I have noticed honey bees in late afternoon on sparkleberry and magnolia which typically are not attractive to them in the morning hours when something better is available. The fact that they are foraging 2nd class venues is indicative of preferred nectar plants drying up early in the day. A nice evening or nigh time rain may help this.
That’s my report on the Midlands as we approach the end of the flow. We really need to start prepping first year beekeepers with regard to changes in their beekeeping post nectar flow. i.e. feeding, water sources, protective equipment, mite treatment. There’s always something to do!
10 Thursday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
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flex·i·bil·i·ty fleksəˈbilədē/ noun: flexibility
– the quality of bending easily without breaking.
synonyms: pliability, suppleness, pliancy, plasticity;More: elasticity, stretchiness, springiness, spring, resilience, bounce; adaptability, adjustability, variability, versatility, open-endedness, freedom, latitude, cooperation, amenability, accommodations, tolerance, willingness to compromise, willingness to change
Danny Cannon, our current local club President, delivered one of the best lectures I’ve ever sat through at a meeting about two years ago. It was titled “Flexibility in Beekeeping,” “Being Flexible in Beekeeping,” or some such similar title.
That lecture keeps ringing through my brain lately and for good reason. While the lecture had many layers of information, one of the threads in the lecture was the idea of moving backwards, sideways, (and other dance moves) as easily as we move forwards in our management. For instance, recently I’ve been playing musical chairs with supers, frames, and bees. Let me explain.
In the Spring it’s all about adding, expanding, and growth around here. Things seem to get bigger. A lot of addition taking place – boxes, hive stands, and new hives. The thinking is, If I can stay ahead of them with “more” they won’t swarm. Add, add, add. Grow, grow, grow. Feed, feed, feed. Gotta add more boxes and frames! Look and act – usually with more, more, more. Find a swarm and be flexible enough to have an extra stand, bottom board, and box available – capture, and add to the apiary. And that’s how most of the management goes in the Spring.
And then comes the post nectar flow Summer, Fall, and Winter management. But can I break my addiction to adding? Can I be flexible enough to read the bees and the situation? The queen will slow her production down as nectar wanes and more so when the days start getting shorter. Can I tap the brakes, slow down, make changes? Or will I be too reluctant to pull off that super that I worked so hard to build them up to needing. Or maybe they’ve swarmed and the hive is half empty now, yet I want to leave those boxes on in hopes they will build back up – and they very well might if I’m flexible in my management!
Maybe a queen fails and it becomes noticeable at the hive entrance that activity has slowed. But it’s hot and I’d rather not look inside; say it isn’t so because I’d really rather not track down a new queen. Or I have two hives that are in steep decline, should I combine them with stronger hives? I’m torn. After all, I have a plan as to how many hives I need to complete the mental picture I have of my hives sitting on their designated hive stands in my well designed apiary. I want “x” number of hives not “x-1” hives.
And so, I return to the topic of flexibility. Can I be flexible enough to respond appropriately during these post nectar flow months? Oh, it’s difficult. But if I don’t employ the same discipline of flexibility in removing unpopulated boxes, combining weak hives, or replacing a failing queen what penalty is paid? Unlike the threat of swarms in the spring, the lack of flexibility now is paid for with increased pests, hive failures, and loss of valued comb. Hives no longer able to cover comb with bees allow Small Hive Beetles to go unchecked and run amuck in nectar. Worse still is the bane of Wax Moths that move in on weakened hives and steal your most precious resource – your hard earned comb. Weak and declining hives need to be combined with strong hives. But can I be mentally flexible enough to do what needs to be done and then look at that empty spot on the hive stand? Flexibility is responding appropriately now and telling myself that a split may be possible later in the year or at least next Spring.
It’s all flexibility. I’ll read the bees as best I can, make adjustments, and go with the flow each and every time I visit the apiary or open a hive. Some days it’s like a gentle dance, other days it’s a roller coaster with ups and downs, round and rounds, bright lights and dark tunnels. When I pause afterwards I don’t say I enjoyed the ups but not the downs or the round and rounds. No, I say, “I enjoyed the ride.” Be flexible and enjoy the ride.
09 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping management
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Mine too! ~ SassafrasBeeFarm
As a beekeeper you have many choices when it comes to smoker fuel. Some of it is free and widely available and some of it can be ordered with several bee supply houses. During my first two years of beekeeping I was testing several fuel sources. The free fuel I found around the house ranged from dry grass to pine needles. I also purchased some smoker fuel from Brushy Mountain and picked up some small burlap bags at the local farmer store. Good news is – everything works! However, my favorite by far is burlap.
Read full article here: My Favorite Smoker Fuel — Local Honey from Happy Bees
08 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, pollen
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What’s the buzz on bee pollen benefits? Studies have shown bee pollen can help ease inflammation or discomfort, particularly related to the prostate gland, it can alleviate symptoms of allergies or hay fever, it can improve fertility, and it has even been shown to protect against some of the harmful effects of x-ray radiation. The most commonly held belief is that consuming bee pollen by eating locally produced honey, which includes traces of pollen, will help with allergies. Although there is little scientific evidence to support this claim, there is some anecdotal research that suggests a beneficial connection. Plus, honey is delicious on everything and it’s always good to support local farms! So no matter what, it’s a good idea!
Read full article here: Some Surprising Bee Pollen Benefits — Types Of Bees
07 Monday May 2018
Posted in bee health, beekeeping, diseases, varroa destructor, varroa mites
All too often when people hear that I am a beekeeper they ask me, “What’s killing the bees?” Of course there is no one reason but viri spread by Varroa mites is one reason I bring up along with a couple other reasons. Here is a good summary by Prime Bees of what’s happening with the mites and the viri they spread. – Sassafras Bee Farm
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a highly viral disease transmitted by Varroa destructor. The disease is commonly found in colonies infested with mites. Deformed Wing Virus is regarded as deadly due to its ability to spread fast in any colony. It causes massive wing deformation in bees making it difficult for them to live normally. DWV which is regarded as a low-grade infectious disease is commonly triggered by mite infestations. It has a reputation for being massively destructive leading to the decimation of well-established colonies globally. The deformed wing virus is common in late summer and early fall. A high concentration of mites can be overwhelming for any bee colony.
DWV occurs when varroa mites which are external parasites feed on the hemolymph of both developing and mature bees after attacking them. Consequently; it reduces their lifespan drastically while spreading the deadly disease to the rest of the colony members. The Varroa mite can trigger the virus transmission from one infected bee to the entire colony within a very short span of time. Their vectored viruses are notorious at affecting honeybees immune systems hence leaving them exposed to risks of DWV. This wing deformity is a sign of a high viral load on the bees, and ultimately, bees need their wings to survive. Those with deformed wings cannot forage.
Read full article here: Deformed Wing Virus — Prime Bees – College Station Bee & Honey Farm
06 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping author, beekeeping books
Bees in Literature. SassafrasBeeFarm
To be honest, Sylvia Plath’s poetry has always made me slightly uncomfortable. I find it hard to think of her without a creepy feeling. I know, she was a tormented young woman but I feel the way I feel. Imagine, then, my cringe when I opened an email from James in which he excitedly shared with me a poem by a beekeeper named Sylvia Plath. I had no idea she ever kept bees. Here is a link to her beekeeping poetry and a well-written article about this time in her life: Sylvia Plath and the Bees
Wintering
This is the easy time, there is nothing doing.
I have whirled the midwife’s extractor,
I have my honey,
Six jars of it,
Six cat’s eyes in the wine cellar,Wintering in a dark without window
At the heart of the house
Next to the last tenant’s rancid jam
And the bottles of…
View original post 246 more words
06 Sunday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping books, diseases
by Hachiro Shimanuki and David A. Knox
Apiary inspectors and beekeepers must be able to recognize bee diseases and parasites and to differentiate the serious diseases from the less important ones. This handbook describes laboratory techniques (particularly those of the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory) used to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities of the honey bee and to identify parasites and pests. Includes directions for sending diseased brood and adult honey bees for diagnosis of bee disease. (The directions on p. 50 for submitting Africanized honey bees for identification are no longer correct; for current information on Africanized submissions click here.)
Click here for free Ebook: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Agriculture Handbook 690. B&W, 61 pp. April 1991; revised July 2000
05 Saturday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, honey as food, honey recipe, recipe
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Do you ever look at your salad and wish it was more?
I have always been a fan of making fancy salads! This is one of my favorite recipes because you can use a different fruit or meat and change it up! This is a salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner and is easy enough to make in advance. The best part of this salad; is the sweet and savory satisfaction you get from eating it. I truly believe a salad should not just be a salad; it should be fun and leave you feeling great. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Remember the eyes it first; making the salad look good will mean that you will feel more satisfied.
continued…
Get ingredients list and full recipe at: Honey Pork Salad — The Honey Cottage
04 Friday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, hive inspections
A good article on being thoughtful on making inspections. -Sassafrassbeefarm
A successful beehive inspection begins even before a beekeeper opens the colony. Sometimes, if the weather is too cold or otherwise unpleasant, an outside inspection may be all that a conscientious beekeeper will want to do for the day. Not every day is ideal for opening a beehive.
No matter what the conditions, however, an astute beekeeper can learn much about a colony’s health simply by carefully observing the bees outside of the colony and considering . . .
- Given the conditions of weather and bloom, is the level of activity taking place on the entrance greater or lower than what would be expected?
- Are the bees bringing in pollen?
- Are there signs of robbing or defensive behavior?
- Are the bees fighting off invading insects such as wasps or ants?
- Are there dead bees lying in front of the entrance?
Read the full article here: What to Look For In a Beehive Inspection — Wildflower Meadows
02 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping, pollination, pollinators
Common sense approach to pollinator ecosystems.
I just published this letter with Toby Smith and Romina Rader, in response to an opinion piece in Science back in January. The original paper argues that high densities of honey bees can harm wild pollinators (this can happen in some contexts).
It also suggests that a first step toward a conservation strategy for wild pollinators is that crop pollination by managed honey bees “should not be considered an ecosystem service” because those services “are delivered by an agricultural animal and not the local ecosystems”.
This highlights a common misinterpretation of what ecosystem services is all about. Services are delivered by interactions between species (including Homo sapiens) and their environments at multiple scales, not individual organisms or natural ecosystems.
View original post 319 more words
02 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in beekeeping
A sweet treat!
With this blog post I’d like to invite all of the followers and visitors of Beekeeping365 to post a response below announcing their blog and inviting others to come visit. I think most of my followers are beekeepers but beekeeper or not don’t let that stand in your way. It’s time to Bee Proud and tell others a little about your self and invite others to subscribe to your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter account. Don’t bee shy! Tell us what you’re doing, what you hope to accomplish, and invite us all to become regular visitors at your place!
Sassafras Bee Farm
Beekeeping365 